Beyond the plate: Redefining communication in the fight against food shaming 

February 13, 2024 - By Rachel Kubik, Senior Content Writer for ARC

No matter who it’s come from, we’ve probably all heard statements like these before: “I can’t believe you ate that entire double burger,” “If that’s all the effort you can give your workout, you’ll never get in shape,” “Is that all you’re eating? You’re skinny enough already,” and “Are you on a diet?”

What do these have in common? You may have already guessed it. It’s food shaming.

Food shaming encompasses a range of negative behaviors and comments directed at consumers based on their food choices, eating habits or body size. It operates on multiple levels, from personal interactions to broader cultural and systemic influences, impacting consumers’ psychological well-being, self-esteem and overall relationship with food, according to Choosing Therapy.

While health and wellness professionals are well-informed about various aspects of food shaming, there are some nuanced factors you may not know about. Health and wellness professionals may not fully be aware of the cultural and socioeconomic factors that contribute to consumers’ relationships with food. These factors can significantly impact how consumers perceive certain foods and eating habits, leading to instances of food shaming.

Health and wellness professionals may not always recognize how food shaming intersects with other forms of discrimination, such as racism, sexism or ableism. Certain marginalized groups may face heightened levels of food shaming due to systemic inequalities and biases. Consumers may additionally internalize societal messages about food and body image, leading to self-directed food shaming. The pressure to conform to unrealistic standards portrayed in the media can exacerbate feelings of shame and guilt related to food choices. Understanding the emotional toll of being shamed for one’s food choices can be crucial in providing effective support and guidance.

While health and wellness professionals often focus on the physical health implications of food choices, they may not always fully consider the mental health repercussions of food shaming. This can include increased stress, anxiety and even disordered eating behaviors. 

Health and wellness professionals may not always be aware of the language they use and how it can inadvertently contribute to food shaming. Using judgmental or stigmatizing language, even unintentionally, can perpetuate negative attitudes towards food and eating habits. By acknowledging these aspects, health and wellness professionals can better support consumers, clients and patients in fostering healthy relationships with food and their bodies while also addressing the harmful impacts of food shaming.

The deep effects

At its core, food shaming reflects deeply ingrained societal norms and values surrounding food, body image and health. These norms are often reinforced through various channels, including media representations, social media trends and interpersonal interactions. Moreover, food shaming intersects with other forms of discrimination, such as racism, sexism and classism, exacerbating the marginalization experienced by already vulnerable groups.

The impacts of food shaming are profound and far-reaching, encompassing both immediate emotional distress and long-term psychological harm. Consumers who experience food shaming may internalize negative beliefs about themselves and their bodies, leading to low self-esteem, disordered eating patterns and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, according to Choosing Therapy.

Body shaming, one prominent form of food shaming, involves critiquing or stigmatizing consumers based on their body size or appearance, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and contributing to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors. Similarly, dietary restrictions shaming targets consumers with specific dietary needs, undermining their autonomy and perpetuating misconceptions about health and nutrition.

Guilt-tripping, another common manifestation of food shaming, manipulates consumers through shame to influence their food choices, often exacerbating feelings of guilt, anxiety and self-doubt. Cultural food shaming, on the other hand, involves mocking or belittling the food choices of particular cultural groups, reflecting broader patterns of cultural bias and intolerance.

Jessica Broome, Ph.D., conducted a survey on behalf of General Mills that was cited in Today’s Dietitian and that investigated experiences with food and fitness shaming among consumers, fitness professionals and health and wellness professionals. The survey revealed that social media influencers were identified as the primary source of shaming, with 60% of consumers citing them for body shaming and 47% for food and fitness shaming. Following influencers, friends and family ranked as the next highest sources of shame, with peer groups and work colleagues also contributing. Approximately 25% of consumers reported medical professionals as a source of shaming, while slightly more identified fitness and nutrition professionals in the news as sources of shame.

Broome’s research highlights the profound impact of shaming, with 88% of those who experience it reporting lasting effects. Shaming leads to low self-esteem and perpetuates feelings of isolation, prompting many consumers to prefer eating and exercising alone. Shaming operates in a cyclical manner, according to Broome. Consumers are bombarded with simplistic messages like “eat clean” and “move more,” which trivialize their struggles and challenges. When they inevitably find that achieving nutrition and fitness goals is not as straightforward as suggested, they feel like failures, leading to feelings of guilt and isolation. This sense of failure culminates in shame, reinforcing the belief that society also views them negatively. This cycle of shame becomes self-inflicted as consumers continue to seek a simple solution amidst societal pressures.

The research noted fitness professionals are often sources of shame in attempts to motivate clients. A significant portion, 74%, of surveyed fitness professionals believe it’s acceptable to provide diet advice even if it induces feelings of guilt. Moreover, 42% of consumers agree with this sentiment, indicating a normalization of guilt-inducing tactics in the fitness industry. Additionally, more than half of fitness professionals admitted to making clients feel guilty if they fail to meet their exercise goals.

Similarly, consumers may experience feelings of guilt and shame when working with health and wellness professionals. In a hypothetical scenario imagining discussing their eating habits, 22% of participants anticipated feeling judged, while 54% expected to experience at least one negative emotion during the conversation. These findings underscore the prevalence of shaming dynamics in both fitness and nutrition settings, highlighting the need for greater sensitivity and empathy in client interactions.

It’s important to address biases about body size, reflect on your assumptions, origins of these beliefs and reactions when interacting with consumers of different body sizes. It’s important to recognize privilege in reducing shame and bias, advocating for listening, acceptance and education about diverse backgrounds and experiences when communicating with clients.

No one is immune to having biases, and health professionals should actively confront instances of shaming rather than remaining silent, emphasizing the need to educate others about the detrimental effects of body shaming and to demonstrate support and acceptance for consumers of all body sizes.

Ask yourself:

• What assumptions do I make about consumers based on their body size? 
• Where do these assumptions come from? 
• How do I feel when I interact with consumers of different body sizes? 
• What evidence do I see in the world around me of consumers who challenge these stereotypes? 

A significant portion of consumers are influenced by nutrition professionals on social platforms, so shame can be combatted on social media. By addressing and challenging shaming behaviors in online spaces, health professionals can contribute to creating more supportive and inclusive environments.

Counseling advice 

Health and wellness professionals should carefully choose their words when discussing body weight, considering the potential interpretations of their language. Try using neutral terms like “weight” rather than stigmatizing terms like “fat” or “obese.” Additionally, acknowledge the variability in consumers’ preferences for terminology and using each client, consumer or patient’s preferred language when discussing weight-related health. Try not to use oversimplified messages that may lead to disempowerment if clients fail to meet their goals, such as “eat more vegetables” or “move daily.”

Help clients become their own cheerleaders by practicing self-praise for achievements, no matter how small, to counteract self-criticism. Clients can list 10 behaviors that helped themselves, others or the world each day and view the list with appreciation rather than evaluation.

Try engaging clients in conversations to explore the origins of their self-shaming dialogue and help them evaluate the validity of these thoughts. Clients should acknowledge their shame and practice self-compassion, emphasizing the importance of recognizing their worth and strengths. Meditation can additionally help clients struggling with shame. Consumers can connect healthy behaviors to happiness rather than external goals like weight loss, emphasizing intrinsic motivation. To address self-shaming, health and wellness professionals can reassure clients that they’re not alone in their struggles and convey empathy by potentially even sharing their own experiences with shame.

What else can you do? 

Addressing food shaming requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both individual behaviors and broader societal attitudes. This includes promoting body positivity and acceptance, challenging stereotypes and cultural biases and fostering a more inclusive and compassionate approach to food and nutrition.

At the interpersonal level, health and wellness professionals can cultivate empathy and understanding, refrain from making judgmental or stigmatizing comments about consumers’ food choices and create supportive environments where all consumers feel valued and respected. Additionally, advocating for policy changes and social justice initiatives that address underlying systemic inequalities and promote equitable access to nutritious food and healthcare can help address the root causes of food shaming.

Ultimately, combating food shaming requires a collective effort to challenge harmful societal norms, promote acceptance and diversity, and create environments where all consumers can nourish themselves both physically and emotionally without fear of judgment or stigma. By working together to cultivate a more inclusive and compassionate food culture, health and wellness professionals can create a healthier and more equitable world for all.

Here are six tips from Choosing Therapy for dealing with food shaming:

1. Communicate boundaries around food and educate others on the negative impact of food shaming.

2. Redirect conversations away from food to more positive topics to mitigate the impact of negative comments.

3. Educate consumers on how to promote an empathetic environment where negativity and food shaming are not tolerated.

4. Reflect on your own words and actions to eliminate food shaming, avoiding unsolicited remarks and fostering an inclusive and empathetic atmosphere. Refrain from making judgmental or critical remarks about others’ food choices to foster inclusivity and acceptance.

5. Respect consumers’ dietary choices and avoid making assumptions that may lead to food shaming.

6. Create a safe space for open and non-judgmental conversations about food choices, allowing consumers to share their perspectives without fear of criticism.

Addressing the multifaceted issue of food shaming requires a concerted effort from health and wellness professionals, consumers and society at large. By understanding the nuanced factors contributing to food shaming, recognizing its profound impacts on mental health and implementing strategies to combat it, we can foster a more inclusive and compassionate food culture. Health and wellness professionals play a crucial role in promoting body positivity, challenging stereotypes and creating supportive environments where all consumers feel valued and respected. Through empathy, education and advocacy, health and wellness professionals can work toward a healthier and more equitable world where individuals can nourish themselves both physically and emotionally without fear of judgment or stigma. Let’s continue to strive for an environment where food choices are celebrated, diversity is embraced and compassion continues.